Comments Off on BMW just unveiled the sleek electric motorcycle of the future

Ready to commute in style? BMW just unveiled a futuristic, zero-emission motorbike at the Concorso D’eleganza Villa D’este , showing us what the motorcycle of the future looks like. Modeled after the BMW Motoradd Vision Next 100 , the design is both sleek and functional, and is perfect for those who want to get around in urban settings in a sustainable way. The BMW Motorrad Concept Link may look like a scooter, but it is anything but. The motorbike has a low-slung, stretched body with a flat seat and, according to the company, “is ideally suited to meet the requirements of modern urban mobility with fast acceleration and easy handling.” Getting on the electric bike is easy due to its low overall height. Additionally, a reverse gear ensures it is easy to maneuver and park in tight city spaces. Clear lines, large-area surfaces, and precise shapes play a part in emphasizing the bike’s state-of-the-art look. All colors are oriented diagonally to underline the dynamic potential of the ride. A touch of futurism is added to the bike with iconic LEC front lights, a clear-cut layout, and slim contours. A feature that sets the BMW Motorrad Concept Link apart from other motorbikes is the fact that information such as speed, remaining charge, and navigation information is projected right onto the windscreen. If one desires, they can swap out the windscreen for alternate versions with different options. There is also a secondary display below the handlebars that offers touchscreen input. The handlebars also have built-in touch sensitive controls that ensure easy access to favorite features while commuting. BMW also included a design for rider equipment, that includes a lightweight jacket with hidden protection. Because motion controls have been built in, a wave of one’s arm can open the sliding door underneath the seat which leads to a storage compartment. Related: Retro electric motorbike with 40-mile range fits in the trunk of a car Said Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design of BMW Motorrad, “The BMW Motorrad Concept Link stands for a new understanding of urban mobility. It links the digital and analogue world and places the focus on the rider and his mobility needs. In the way it links functionality and digitalisation it performs both as a means of transport as well as a communication device. For me the BMW Motorrad Concept Link, with its timeless and reduced style, is more than a concept – it is rather a symbol for a new era.” “The BMW Motorrad Concept Link is not based on today’s concepts, but rather meets the basic functionality needs, the technical architecture and the digital reality of today’s users. The technical realities of electric drive – such as the flat energy packs in the underfloor and the compact drive on the rear wheel – allowed us to create a highly distinctive design which shapes a new segment. The resulting expressive power of the vehicle is absolutely new for BMW Motorrad and breaks with all conventional viewing patterns,” added Alexander Buckan, Head of Vehicle Design at BMW Motorrad. + BMW Motorrad Concept Link Images via BMW Motorrad Concept Link

Comments Off on Forward Labs’ new solar roof is 33% cheaper than Tesla’s – and it can be installed in half the time

Tesla gets all the attention lately when it comes to solar roofs , but start-up Forward Labs has been hammering away at their own solar roof technology – and not only is it 33% cheaper that Tesla’s offering, but it can be installed in half of the time. Forward Labs’ design blends right in with traditional roofs, and it’s made of monocrystalline solar cells with a higher density that other solar roofing options Whereas Tesla’s solar roof is made from individual shingles, Forward Labs’ standing-seam metal roof is made up of one large, layered piece. It has a tempered glass surface, with an “optimal chromatic cloaking” layer right below. The roof comes in 8 colors right now, but thanks to the chromatic layer, any color is technically possible. Related: Tesla’s groundbreaking solar roof just hit the market Because Forward Labs uses more cost-effective materials, it costs on average 33% less than the Tesla solar roof. According to the CEO, the solar roof will cost $8.50 per square foot, which works out to about $3.25 per watt. Installation can be done in just a few days – about half of the time as other solar roofs. The system is passively cooled via air gaps below the panels, and if a panel breaks, it can be popped out and replaced by a new one. The roof looks identical to other metal roofs, so it could easily pass a Home Owner’s Association’s muster, and each installation can provide decades of solar power. Taylor, Forward Labs CEO, told Green Tech Media that the company is aiming to do the right thing for the right reason. In contrast, he believes that Tesla’s design is the “wrong thing for the right reason.” “It’s wrong to devalue people’s houses with something that doesn’t look good. It’s wrong to put holes in roofs; it’s wrong to go to war with homeowner associations; and it’s wrong to try to ram something down people’s throats that they don’t want,” he said. The company is also working with conventional asphalt shingle companies to recycle removed roofing materials. Forward Labs are currently taking reservations with installation starting next year. + Forward Labs Via Treehugger and Green Tech Media

Comments Off on Elon Musk’s latest company aims to make us cyborgs within the next four years

Elon Musk must not be busy enough with his Boring company , Space X and Tesla , because he just became CEO of another company, and this one has a goal of turning us all into cyborgs . Neuralink, a San Francisco -based startup says they are “developing ultra high bandwidth brain -machine interfaces to connect humans and computers ” and Musk says he hopes to start delivering by 2021. Musk hinted that he was working on neural lacing last year , though details were scant, but he has never been shy about his opinion that we should be connecting our brains to computers. According to TechCrunch, Musk wants to make that leap with Neuralink. He wants to integrate our brains and computers, or allow us to connect cloud-based artificial intelligence computing with our selves. This could allow humans to communicate directly with each other, instead of having to compress thoughts into language. Related: Elon Musk says new company will start drilling under LA next month It sounds like science fiction. Musk explained it in detail to Tim Urban of Wait But Why . Musk said we already are cyborgs; we’ve “already kind of merged” with smartphones and laptops. He added, “You’re already digitally superhuman. The thing that would change is the interface – having a high-bandwidth interface to your digital enhancements. The thing is that today, the interface all necks down to this tiny straw, which is, particularly in terms of output, it’s like poking things with your meat sticks, or using words – either speaking or tapping things with fingers. And in fact, output has gone backwards. It used to be, in your most frequent form, output would be ten-finger typing. Now, it’s like, two-thumb typing. That’s crazy slow communication. We should be able to improve that by many orders of magnitude with a direct neural interface.” Neuralink’s product probably won’t be ready for the public any time soon – it could be eight to 10 years for people without disabilities, according to Musk, who said the timeline depends both on regulatory approval and how well the devices could work for disabled people. If you want to dig more into the project, Urban wrote a 36,000-word explanation . About the piece, Musk said on Twitter , “Difficult to dedicate the time, but existential risk is too high not to.” Via Wait What Why , The Next Web and TechCrunch Images via OnInnovation on Flickr and Max Pixel

Opportunity for President Donald Trump and his new administration. It will come in many shapes, sizes and, yes, even industries. To that end, while there was an enormous focus in 2016 regarding how blockchain, the digital ledger of transactions, is rapidly disrupting the banking industry, opportunities for this technology also exist within the auto, insurance and energy sectors.

Comments Off on Why sending an email can increase your carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is greater than just the fossil fuels burned in traveling and construction—it encompasses your digital activities too. As if spam emails weren’t bad enough, Fuel Fighter points out how an action as seemingly innocuous as a Google search could add to your carbon footprint. Data centers , which are the engines of the Internet, require massive amounts of energy to run and, according to Gartner, are said to account for almost a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions. Fuel Fighter created an infographic to break down the carbon footprint of the digital age, from emails to streaming Netflix, as well as interesting stats on the energy it takes to power the Internet and what some companies are doing to offset their global footprint. + Fuel Fighter

MIT’s OpenFab is a system designed to make 3d printing easier and cheaper – and it uses a new programming language to create flexible objects with varying materiality. Set to be launched at the end of the month at the SIGGRAPH Conference in California, the new software will allow designers to create objects that vary in colors and can be squishy at one end and stiff and the other. Read the rest of MIT’s OpenFab Allows Designers to Make Cheaper, Flexible, Colored 3D Printed Objects Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: 3D printers , 3D printing , 3d-printed objects , cad software , CGI , digital , digital fabrication , green technology , MIT , MIT OpenFab , movie technology , new green technology , OpenFab , SIGGRAPH Conference